After more than a year of negotiations, Ireland has made it possible for Taiwanese nationals to get an Irish driver’s license without having to take a test if they have a valid license from Taiwan.
Taiwanese nationals will be able to use the Irish driver’s license to travel to 26 member countries in the EU, and the move could also prod the UK and other countries to follow suit.
Taiwanese Representative to Ireland David Lee (李南陽) expressed his appreciation to the Irish government for taking the initiative and described it as the second major breakthrough in bilateral relations since July last year.
FRIENDLY MOVE
“This is another friendly gesture after the Irish government granted visa-free treatment to Taiwanese passport holders in July 2009,” he said, adding that it shows Ireland attaches great importance to Taiwanese tourists, students and investors.
Upon hearing the news, Taiwanese expatriates in Ireland called it a major diplomatic breakthrough that will help them tremendously.
“This is indeed very good news with the low passing rates for Irish road tests. It will be more convenient to travel around European Union countries after the new policy,” said Wang Chi-sui (王綺穗), who was invited to teach at Dublin City University two years ago.
Johnnie Lin (林政德), director of Engineering and Quality at technology company Bizlink, said obtaining an Irish driver’s license would be a blessing for Taiwanese businessmen and students.
It will save time and money because there will be no need to prepare for the written test or to attend driving classes before the driving test, Lin added.
SPECIAL TREATMENT
Ireland has become the 10th country to grant Taiwanese nationals the special treatment, after the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Denmark, Italy, Hungary, Finland and Switzerland.
Since Ireland offered visa-free treatment to Taiwanese nationals on July 1 last year, bilateral trade and tourism, and science and technology and academic exchanges have grown substantially, according to official Irish statistics.
Bilateral trade totaled about 532 million euros (US$686 million) last year, with Taiwan becoming Ireland’s 23rd-largest trading partner and the 20th-biggest source of its imported goods.
‘JOINT SWORD’: Whatever President Lai says in his Double Ten speech, China would use it as a pretext to launch ‘punishment’ drills for his ‘separatist’ views, an official said China is likely to launch military drills this week near Taiwan, using President William Lai’s (賴清德) upcoming national day speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims, Taiwanese officials said. China in May launched “punishment” drills around Taiwan shortly after Lai’s inauguration, in what Beijing said was a response to “separatist acts,” sending heavily armed warplanes and staging mock attacks as state media denounced newly inaugurated Lai. The May drills were dubbed “Joint Sword — 2024A” and drew concerns from capitals, including Washington. Lai is to deliver a key speech on Thursday in front of the Presidential Office
Taiwan was listed in 14th place among the world's wealthiest country in terms of GDP per capita, in the latest rankings released on Monday by Forbes magazine. Taiwan's GDP per capita was US$76,860, which put it at No. 14 on the list of the World's 100 Richest Countries this year, one spot above Hong Kong with US$75,130. The magazine's list of the richest countries in the world is compiled based on GDP per capita data, as estimated by the IMF. However, for a more precise measure of a nation's wealth, the magazine also considers purchasing power parity, which is a metric used to
NINTH MONTH: There were 11,792 births in Taiwan last month and 15,563 deaths, or a mortality rate of 8.11 per 1,000 people, household registration data showed Taiwan’s population was 23,404,138 as of last month, down 2,470 from August, the ninth consecutive month this year that the nation has reported a drop, the Ministry of the Interior said on Wednesday. The population last month was 162 fewer than the same month last year, a decline of 0.44 per day, the ministry said, citing household registration data. Taiwan reported 11,792 births last month, or 3.7 births per day, up 149 from August, it said, adding that the monthly birthrate was 6.15 per 1,000 people. The jurisdictions with the highest birthrates were Yunlin County at 14.62 per 1,000 people, Penghu County (8.61
WARNING: Domestic coffee producers mainly grow arabica beans, as they self-pollinate, but they are more likely to have consistency issues, an expert said Taiwan ranks third in coffee consumption per capita in Asia, the latest Ministry of Agriculture data showed. Taiwanese consume 1.77kg, or 177 cups of coffee, per person each year, less only than Japan and South Korea, at 600 cups and 400 cups respectively, the ministry’s Tea and Beverage Research Station said. Although the nation mainly relies on imported coffee, there has been an increase in home-grown coffee bean production, the ministry said. Cuttings and other techniques are commonly used to ensure domestic beans have stronger floral and fruity flavors, it said. It is a fast-expanding market with Taiwan’s coffee consumption
RSS